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by night and frequently by a person not a Taylor, and in various 
other secret ways to the persons in the city to whom they be- 
longed. Picture if you can Turner Brothers marching up and 
down on guard at the Old Bridge, Marshall and Lord at the 
West Gate, and Gandy and Son inspecting every basket and 
bundle brought over by an old woman at Bathwick ferry, and we 
cease to wonder that they wearied at last of the fight. It is true 
that when any catches were made the offenders were punished. 
Sam Alder (12 Anne), Sam Greenway, 2 G. II., Nicholas Elking- 
ton, 1717, Martin Cox, 1729, James Browne, 1729, and twice 
afterward together with Thomas Collins, were all persecuted by 
the Company in the Court of Record as non-traders and judgment 
was given in favour of the Company and fines inflicted. The 
records of these proceedings is to be found in the old books in the 
Guildhall at Bath. Collins’ case deserves notice. The firm of 
Collins must have been to a certain extent ready made clothsmen, 
and attempted in that way to escape. On the token which is one 
of the Bath Series, is J. Collins, Clothier. The suit against them 
was protracted by Writ of Error, &c., and discloses grave irregu- 
larities on the part of the Town Clerk or some other official, for 
when the Writ was required in 1763 it was reported “ Search has 
been made in the Proper Office of Record at Bath for this Record, 
but from their confused method of keeping records and things it 
is either lost or mislaid ;” but fortunately the old Minute Book 
of the Taylor’s Company gives us the end of the matter. 
“Collins agreed to pay £20 for the Company’s law expenses, 
£10 for his freedom, and gave a bond for the payment of the 
further sum of £22 for Mr. Sam Webb, the Attorney’s, and other 
expenses. 
The Minute is as follows :— 
**Mem.—The Masters of the Company of Merchant Taylors in 
the City of Bath v. Thos, Collins. 
“ Tn consideration that the said Thomas Collins hath now paid 
to Mr. John Tubb and Mr. Samuel Elkington the present Masters 

